


a merry little Christmas

by hepburns



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Ugly Holiday Sweaters, What am I doing, ethan loves vanessa so much, i don't do fafics, i think vanessa would hate snapchat but there's a headcanon, it's an au and they have social media, it's chirstmas, vanessa loves ethan so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:43:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5519201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hepburns/pseuds/hepburns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU set in modern days, when Vanessa and Ethan are long-time friends. Now that Ethan went to America to see relatives on Christmas, Skype and other social media is what they have.<br/>And, of course, ugly sweaters, awkward silences and hidden feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a merry little Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS THE LAST TIME I TRY TO WRITE FANFIC AT ALL  
> (OR IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
> 
> BYE
> 
> nice to meet you if you're lost and find this

  
By the window seat, Vanessa is engrossed by The Demonologist, although half of her mind is occupied correcting the thoughts of the protagonist. She is, by far, a girl fascinated by the mysterious world of inhuman creatures and supernatural events. Vanessa is fearless, as everyone point out. Smart, beautiful and courageous. However, her devotion regarding the unknown and the darkness comes from her fears. The train of her thoughts was interrupted, luckily, by a beep in her phone. A Skype request to a video. She was already smiling when she saw who was on the other side of the screem.  
  
“Hello Miss Ives”, said the voice and, along, the face. Ethan and his charming American voice got Vanessa wondering why her fascination with the unknown was mixed with this boy.  
  
“Hello Mister Chandler”, Vanessa said with a smile. “How is America?”  
  
“Incredible dull. Family is asking about girlfriends – or boyfriends – and about college but we have just finished school. Obligations, mostly and hunting, even though I always say that I absolute hate all this bullshit to hunt wolves. Hell, maybe this family reunion was not good, you see.” Ethan said with a huff. He looks tired and stressed.  
  
Vanessa seemed she was almost taking the next flight to United States to take Ethan with her. “You look sad. You don’t see your relatives for such a long time, it was supposed to be fun. And by fun I mean you telling the jokes we all love here”, said she referring to the last dinner in her house, the day before he took a flight.  
  
Chandler smiled at the memory. “Well, your family is all aristocratic, it’s easy to make fun with and about them”, he said, nostalgic almost.  
  
"Don’t give me that puppy look, Ethan. You just left! You don’t miss London so much like this. There’s nothing so important to miss about this place”, Vanessa inquired, looking regretful. Almost she was not supposed to say this. Like as a forbidden sentence to say in that tone.  
  
Ethan was not that stupid and caught the implications and an awkward silence followed. They look at each other through the screen with so much and yet so little. The two are friends for so long that they did not exactly remember when. Vanessa guessed that it was in primary school, when she did not have any friends to talk to and Ethan came along to play with her in some random day. Ethan said she was a little weird back then, talking to herself and proposing to be the Evil Witch in the Christmas play, having in mind that there is no witch or evilness in a Christmas infant play. Ethan like to say he saved Vanessa from a boring life closed in the library. Vanessa like to say that she saved Ethan from a boring life without her. And there is Victor and Sembene too, as a package. Victor, who is shy and well, Victor. Sembene, who is the one who saves them from trouble all the time.  
  
Since they are children, Ethan and Vanessa have been navigation towards each other. Victor and Sembene always made fun of them asking where the marriage will take place. The two always laughed and said they will never get married; it’s too dull, too traditional. They are friends, didn’t need to date each other, impossible. Only Victorian people did that – they are modern, they could choose being only friends. They love each other as mates, which is all that matters.  
  
They have promised in Vanessa’s Tenth birthday that in her Thirtieth birthday they would build a little cottage made of wood, in the countryside. There would be a place in the cottage where Vanessa will teach Ethan to dance, to waltz correctly. Ethan would teach Vanessa to use arrows. They would grow old together in that place, surrounding by nature and peacefulness. They also promised they would never fall in love with each other, because their friendship is better. Better than the falling marriage both their parents had.  
  
Ten years later and they were betrayed by destiny. When Ethan took that plane 5 days ago, Vanessa felt in all her body was on fire. A profound agony took her being with so much power that she had to sit down on the airport. It was like taking a piece of her flesh without anaesthesia. She felt angry at life, because they did promised, didn’t they? They had. She was supposed to be alone, however alone with him, with Ethan. However, he’s gone, not forever, but she knew they would never be the same.  
  
“Hey, Vanessa, earth calling”, Ethan joked. Of course he would joke.  
  
“I was just remembering that Victor sent a picture in our group chat minutes before you called. He was not alone, do you know?” she said, changing the subject. Ethan looked disappointed, she observed, however did not mentioned.  
  
“Did he? I was, well, hahaha, not, I don’t remember what I was doing that I did not see that. It is who I think it is?” Ethan said embarrassed. Ethan Chandler embarrassed? Now was time to Vanessa to laugh. He was doing something, which he does not want Vanessa to know. Well.  
  
Ethan was just thinking about the writing he was doing, regarding the dream he had with his Miss Ives. He didn’t memorized the entire thing, but he recollected in the dream her face, beautiful eyes, pupils dilated. Rested, messy hair, not so composed like she always was. She did not do stuff like that, showing her pretty and mysterious face like that in his sleep. She did not touched his soul so much like that. She did not do this kind of stuff, of course not. She did not put Ethan on the edge of picking those lips, soft and… and…  
  
Ethan was about to break that promise.  
  
“That Proteus gay, no, no, no, well, guy”, said she, laughing at the mistake. “I think he is bringing him to the Christmas dinner here. I’m just waiting for the formal announcement.”  
  
“Victor and him, Sembene and that Austrian girl. Well, bollocks”, Ethan said, frustrated.  
Another awkward silence. Well, bollocks. He will try something.  
  
"I think we should talk. You know. About stuff. Serious business”, his face was the definition of confusing. Fear. Mixed with love, so much love that Vanessa was speechless for some minutes. Bloody hell.  
  
“Well, I think that too. If is the same thing I’m thinking. Well, it is important. To, you know.” Vanessa tried.  
  
"I think I l-“ Ethan started but did not finished. The connection was lost in the middle and Vanessa just got lost in every way. She tried to call back, but no way. She send a message to him, which also was not delivered. Fuck it all.  
  
The 24th of December went its way. Vanessa tried to call Ethan during the day, but gave up seeing that something with Ethan’s connection went wrong. She savoured the almost declaration of love. A multitude of almosts is what they had. Vanessa’s Fifteen birthday, when they danced and Ethan put his hand on the small of her back. Ethan’s first kiss in some random girl who looked like Vanessa – he always blamed the variety of drinks he had. That sonnet Ethan send anonymously on the last Valentine’s Day and the way Vanessa blushed, knowing that it was him who sent it. The day Vanessa drank so much that Ethan had to carry her to her bed and she asked him to stay and he wanted so much to stay there and she pressed her lips lightly on his and then roll over and slept, pretending she did not remembered but oh how much she remembered.  
  
Vanessa once wrote that she and Ethan belonged to the stars. Lyrical, grotesque, unique. They limbs would find each other; make a bed in the sky for everyone to see that love makes them whole. Ethan once thought that if Vanessa one day tell him “yes”, he would say, “I'm sorry”. He will touch her hair, smell her neck, and wander his hands in the curves, which make his Miss Ives what she was. Vanessa thinks she is not afraid, not giving up, just drowning in. Infinity, bright and she cannot get enough, closer, satisfied.  
  
“You are my stars, Ethan”, Vanessa says to nobody in particular “even though you're a fallen one, they said that they are the brightest in the sky. I would find you and follow you, Mister Chandler.”  
  
  
  
  
  
*  
Later on, when connection with Ethan returned – a blizzard came in Texas and the power went off and came back six hours later –, when Christmas dinner passed and the guests have arrived at their respective homes, Vanessa received a photo of him in an ugly sweater, with horses on it. She was almost sleeping, but she turned on her lights, put also her ugly sweater she received of her distant aunt and sent him a picture of her on it. Minutes after, the bells rang, saying it was Christmas day. A beep came along with the sound. She unlocked her lock screen and saw it the message. It was from Ethan: “Here is not yet, but I know in London is midnight, so Merry Christmas, Miss Ives.”  
  
She smiled and replied as well: “Merry Christmas, Mister Chandler.”  


 

 

It was enough for now. For now.  



End file.
